Minty Chip and Chocolate Mint Cookie Ice Cream

I love baking.  I love eating baked goods.  But the fact is I cannot single handedly eat all of the things I am compelled to make.  If I did, I would be in a constant sugar induced high and I would weigh 400,000 pounds.  Sadly my Hubby is generally speaking, anti-dessert, so he's not much help.  I have to count on friends, family and co-workers to help me out.  And even then, I sometimes still have leftovers.  Like when I made chocolate mint thumbprint cookies a couple of weeks ago.  I had contemplated making just half a batch, but for some reason I forged ahead with a full batch...45 cookies!  I ate quite a few, took several to work and still had cookies left.  I hate letting perfectly good cookies go to waste....how I could use them?  Um, how about chocolate mint cookie ice cream?  Oh ya! 

My inspiration came from Tracey over at Tracey's Culinary Adventures who posted this oreo mint ice cream.  Mint chocolate chip ice cream is in my ice cream top 5.  I decided to combine the two together...chocolate mint cookies and chocolate chips in one ice cream.  I added in the extra chocolate because I wanted a strong chocolate flavor to come through.  Plus I was itching to try to incorporate stracciatella that I had seen on Margot's blog, Effort to Deliciousness.  Stracciatella is traditionally used in gelato and results in small crisp bits of chocolate distributed throughout your gelato or ice cream (just like my beloved mint chip--I always wondered how they got the shards of chocolate in there). 

Stracciatella is much easier than it sounds.  You simply stream in an ounce or two of your favorite melted chocolate during the last few minutes of the ice cream churning process.  When the melted chocolate hits the frozen custard, it freezes on contact and breaks into small bits.  It's super cool!  Definitely a technique I will be using in future ice cream recipes.  (Like maybe some strawberry chip ice cream?)

The minty chip and chocolate mint cookie ice cream is good stuff!  I like the contrast of the crunchy chocolate chip bits next to the chunks of chocolate mint cookies.  And the great part is ice cream keeps for a quite some time in the freezer, and I don't have to worry about pawning it off to anyone.  I can take my time and slowly watch it disappear!

Minty Chip and Chocolate Mint Cookie Ice Cream
adapted from My Kitchen Addiction via Tracey's Culinary Adventures

2 cups heavy cream, divided
1 1/2 cups whole milk
4 egg yolks
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 - 1  teaspoons peppermint extract (depending on your love of mint)
1 1/2 cups chopped chocolate mint thumbprints (recipe below) or other chocolate mint cookies (like Thin Mints or Mint Oreos)
1 1/2 ounces of semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
 
Place 1 cup of heavy cream in a large heatproof bowl. Set a mesh strainer over the bowl.

Combine the remaining cup of heavy cream and the whole milk in a medium saucepan and warm on medium heat until hot, but not boiling.  In a medium heatproof bowl whisk the egg yolks and sugar together until fully combined. Slowly stream the warm milk mixture into the bowl with the yolks, whisking continuously until the mixture is thoroughly combined and smooth. Transfer the custard mixture back to the saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring continuously until the mixture thickens slightly and reads 170 - 175 on a thermometer.  The custard should coat the back of a wooden spoon.

Pour the custard through the strainer into the bowl with the heavy cream. Stir to combine and then stir in the vanilla and peppermint extracts. Place plastic wrap directly on the surface of the custard and chill for 3-4 hours in the refrigerator, or overnight.

Turn your ice cream maker on and pour in the chilled custard and churn according to the manufacturer's instructions.  While your ice cream is churning chop your cookies into 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch pieces and set aside. 

Place chopped chocolate in a small bowl and microwave on high for 20 seconds.  Stir and place back in the microwave for another 20 seconds.  Repeat stirring and microwaving until chocolate is melted. 

During the last 5 minutes of churning pour your melted chocolate in a slow, steady stream into the ice cream while it is still churning.  Then add chopped cookies and churn until mixed well.  Turn off the ice cream maker.  You may have to hand stir the ice cream to fully incorporate the chocolate and cookies throughout.  The consistency will be like soft serve ice cream/frozen yogurt.  Transfer ice cream to a freezer proof resealable, airtight container and freeze for at least 2 hours before serving.

Yields 2 quarts

Chocolate Mint Thumbprints
from Baked Explorations

2 ounces dark chocolate (60-72%)
2 ounces mint chocolate or Andes mint chocolate candies
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch cubes, at room temperature
1/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons firmly packed dark brown sugar
2 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup course sugar for rolling

White Chocolate Filling
3 ounces good-quality white chocolate, chopped
3 tablespoons heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract

Make the cookies:

Melt the dark chocolate and mint chocolate in a microwave or over a double boiler. Stir until smooth, set aside.  In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder and salt and set aside.

Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and add the flour mixture all at once. Beat on low speed, scraping the side of the bowl occasionally, until the dough is smooth. Transfer the dough to a sheet of plastic wrap and pat it into a disk.  Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate it until it is chilled and firm, at least 30 minutes up to an hour.

Preheat oven to 350 and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Scoop out a tablespoon of dough and roll into a ball.  Roll the ball in the coarse sugar and place on the baking sheet spacing cookies about 1 1/2 inches apart.  Repeat until all the dough is rolled out. 

Using your thumb or a the handle of a large wooden spoon and make a thumbprint or well in the cookies.  Bake for 10  minutes and then remove cookies from oven and use a wooden spoon or the back of a measuring spoon to re-press the "thumbprint" in the cookie.  Return baking sheets to the oven and bake for another 4-5 minutes until cookies just barely start to crack.  Cool on baking sheets on a wire rack until completely cool.

Meanwhile, make the white chocolate filling.  Place the white chocolate in a glass measuring cup with a pour spout. Put the cream in a microwave safe bowl and heat it on high power until it boils, about 30 seconds. Pour the hot cream over the white chocolate and let it stand for 30 seconds, then whisk until smooth. Stir in the peppermint extract.

Fill the thumbprint cookies with the white chocolate ganache and refrigerate them until they set, about 30 minutes.  Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Yield 40-45 cookies